NEIL ARDLEY - A KALEIDOSCOPE OF RAINBOWS

Hideo's been on the case now and kindly re-upped my rip of this great piece of British jazz which I originally posted nearly a year ago-doesn't time fly?!Thanks to Jazz-Nekko for a great cover pic too.

A great set from British jazz genius Neil Ardley one that has him working off the vibe explored on the Greek Variations album, but hitting a sound that's a fair bit funkier overall. As with other efforts, Ardley draws here on some really top-shelf talents for his ideas -- soloists who include Ian Carr on trumpet, Ken Shaw on guitar, and Tony Coe, Barbara Thompson, and Brian Smith on saxes! The tracks are all quite longish, and unfold in a really organic way building over an immediate rhythm at some points, or letting the soloists set the main vibe at others. There's nothing overly-obtuse about the record at all, and Ardley never lets anyone dominate too much making the album a strong group effort with a really unified vision but one with plenty of space for the feeling of the individual players